Know your responsibilities as a tenant. Read your lease agreement carefully!

General

• Housing & Apartment Information and Resources (340+ articles on Eviction; Leasing or renting a home; Foreclosure; Owning or buying a home; Utilities; Security deposits; Section 8 Vouchers and public housing; Housing discrimination; Housing repairs; and other issues)
• Illinois Attorney General
• Illinois State Bar Association Guide to Landlord-Tenant Law
• Housing Action Illinois
• VA Assistance to Help Avoid Eviction or (877) 424-3838

Tenant Rights and Responsibilities

• Illinois Department of Children & Family Services: Housing Rights and Responsibilities
• Illinois Housing Handbook
• Illinois Attorney General: Landlord and Tenant Rights and Laws
• Access Living or (800) 613-8549 / (888) 243-7003 (Toll Free TTY): A center of service, advocacy, and social change for people with disabilities.
• National Housing Law Project

Resources in Chicago

• Chicago Renters’ Rights Hotline at (312) 742-7368: Information and assistance on legal responsibilities and rights of renters and property owners.
  • Know Your Rights: Eviction and Lockout Resources
• Chicago Housing Showcase: Resources and information on programs and opportunities for Chicago homeowners, property owners and renters.
• Chicago Department of Housing or (312) 744-4190
• Chicago Residential Landlord and Tenant Ordinance
• Rentervention Chat Bot or text “hi” to 866-7RENTER (866-773-6837): Free and confidential help with legal advice, tenant-landlord issues, and community resources.
• Metropolitan Tenants Organization or 773-292-4988 (Tenants Rights Hotline)
• Center for Conflict Resolution or (312) 922-6464: Free landlord-tenant mediation.
• Chicago Area Fair Housing Alliance or (872) 228-7844

Legal Assistance and Resources

If you are looking for help with a legal problem, a local legal aid organization can provide free legal advice and may help you find a free or low-cost attorney. Find more information about organizations in Illinois below or search by address to find a Legal Services Corporation (LSC) funded legal aid organization near you.

• General and Statewide
  • Illinois Legal Aid Online: Free, easy to understand legal advice (find “Housing & Apartment” under “Resources”)
  • Eviction Help Illinois or (855) 621-0811: Free legal aid, mediation services, and connections to other resources including rental assistance to increase housing stability. Mediation is an opportunity for landlords and tenants to resolve issues the help of a knowledgeable and neutral person.
  • Illinois COVID H.E.L.P. (Housing & Economic Loss Prevention): Free online tool for people in Illinois who are facing housing, unemployment, and other economic problems because of COVID-19. It provides reliable legal information on the most common legal concerns caused by the pandemic, supported by nonprofit legal aid organizations across the state.
  • Prairie State Legal Services (Central and Northern Illinois) or (815) 965-2134
  • Land of Lincoln Legal Aid (Central and Southern Illinois) or (877) 342-7891
  • HOPE Fair Housing Center (Northern Illinois) or (630) 690-6500
• Chicago Area Legal Assistance and Resources
  • Cook County Legal Aid for Housing & Debt (Chicago & Cook County) or (855) 956-5763
  • CARPLS Legal Aid Hotline (Cook County) or (312) 738-9200 (Monday - Friday, 9 am - 4:30 pm)
  • Legal Aid Chicago (Chicago) or (312) 341-1070
  • Lawyers’ Committee for Better Housing (Chicago) or (312) 347-7600
  • Legal Aid Society of Metropolitan Family Services (Chicago) or (312) 986-4105 / (312) 986-4200
  • University of Illinois Chicago John Marshall Law School Fair Housing Legal Support Center & Clinic (Chicago)
  • Uptown People’s Law Center (Chicago) or (773) 769-1411
  • Center for Disability & Elder Law (Chicago & Cook) or (312) 376-1880
  • South Suburban Housing Center (South Suburbs) or (708) 957-4674
  • Open Communities (North Suburbs) or 847-501-5760
  • North Suburban Legal Aid Clinic (North Suburbs) or (847) 737-4042

Need Help?

• If you believe your rights may have been violated or are a victim of housing discrimination, we encourage you to submit a complaint. Because there are time limits on when a complaint can be filed with HUD after an alleged violation, you should submit a complaint as soon as possible. You may file a complaint online, call us toll-free at (800) 669-9777 or (800) 877-8339, or email ComplaintsOffice05@hud.gov.
• Want advice on buying a home, renting, default, foreclosure avoidance, credit issues or reverse mortgages? HUD sponsors housing counseling agencies throughout the country to provide free or low cost advice. Search online for a housing counseling agency near you, or call HUD's interactive voice system at: (800) 569-4287. You can also search for HUD-approved Housing Counseling Agencies by Zip Code using the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s website.